The Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu, launched in June 2015 an initiative to examine the factors that hold back growth and investment in the low-income and low-growth regions of the EU (the lagging regions). Identifying critical development aspects would help suggest possible solutions to boost growth and increase income in those regions.

Therefore this report analyses the investment needs, growth determinants, macro-economic framework and need for structural reforms. Moreover, it already presents concrete ideas to address the obstacles to growth in the pilot regions of Poland and Romania. In so doing, the report shows why we need a strong commitment in Cohesion Policy: to help Europe’s regions improve their citizens’ daily life.